Sharks prospect Coyle named to U.S. team at World Junior tourney — plus injury and goalie updates

Laboring away on a print edition story today, but wanted to make a quick stop here before getting back to it.

The Sharks made center Charlie Coyle the 28th player taken overall at the 2010 NHL entry draft this past summer and today their late first-round pick was named to the 22-man roster for the United States in the World Junior Championship competition that begins Sunday in Buffalo.

Coyle, 18, is a native of East Weymouth, Mass., and has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 17 games in his first season at Boston University.

*****Not much news to report from this morning’s practice.

Douglas Murray again skated, but nothing definitive as to whether he’ll be back tomorrow night against Phoenix. And, no, he said, it’s not as if he didn’t play against Edmonton because he suffered any kind of setback. Simple matter of being not quite ready to go. But getting closer.

*****The numbers may tell you that Antero Niittymaki (12-3-3, 2.31 GAA, .910 save percentage) has won the No. 1 goaltending job over Antti Niemi (6-8-2,0) 3.15 GAA, .897 save percentage), but Todd McLellan continues to say that isn’t the case, that he plans on using both goalies, that he needs both to be ready to contribute all season and then some.

But, yes, he thinks this may be a point in the season — now that he has gotten to know his netminders a bit better — that he is willing to go more with the hot hand.

Other factors, like the opposition’s style, do come into play, McLellan said, but he is past the point of needing to see both Niittymaki and Antti Niemi perform to assess their abilities.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.